A/n: Merry Christmas everyone! This is the chapter that most of my admirers like you have been waiting forÂ… for THREE YEARS nearly. Oh, and I finally got my 600 reviews or over, all thanks to the contributions of my new friend, RayxJade, especially Hannah (FindahappyplaceFindahappyplace), who was my official 600th reviewer. I hope everyone gets a lot of gifts this year, though I might not. Enjoy.

Chapter 35: The final confrontation in Mordor, the Journey ends

The Orcs had finished marching out of Mordor from the Black Gate, surrounding the smaller hosts of the WestÂ… and both sides were standing in place, waiting for either one to make the first moveÂ… which would be the last for Kenshin and Aragorn, if they decide to attack firstÂ…

Okina, Radagast, Megumi, and the rest of the watching warriors, both Elf and Man alike stood solemnly and somberly in Kyoto as the opposing forces of Middle-Earth stood apart from each other for long momentsÂ… as they awaited the final showdown to begin, deciding the future of both worlds. The people knew, that this would be the last move in a great jeopardy and for one side or the otherÂ… it will bring the end of the gameÂ…

Aragorn raised Andúril high in his hand, while Kenshin gripped upon Hope… as the fiery evil Eye of Sauron called out silently… like it was a cry throughout the night…

“AragornÂ…”

Aragorn heard the Lord’s quiet-like call to himÂ…

“KenshinÂ…” Sauron added, feeling Kenshin’s presenceÂ…

The cross-scarred wanderer widened his eyes but a little after hearing Sauron’s silent whisper to himÂ… as both he and Aragorn began stepping a slow few paces away from their friends, as they observed with great concern and worry written on their facesÂ…

Ayame, Suzume, Hiko, Sojiro, and the others in Kyoto watched in bemused, bewildered apprehension as Sauron called for Kenshin and Aragorn, as they had called himÂ…

Kenshin released his grip upon Hope and Aragorn lowered Andúril, hearing the continuous eerie mutterings of the Dark Lord… as if he was summoning them both…

“Â…BattousaiÂ… ElessarÂ…” Sauron called out again, hissingÂ…

And a frightening, spooky silence fell upon the Black GateÂ… as well as in Kyoto as everyone stood motionless, with his or her gazes fixed upon Mordor, in either world concernedÂ…

The Fellowship began to worry of Kenshin and Aragorn, as if they were feeling that Sauron had them under his power. The two comrades turned back to the uncertain expressions of the Fellowship, as Gandalf raised a hand in concern, as was the look on his face. Aragorn and Kenshin stared at their friends a momentÂ… then turned to face one another, staring directly hard into their eyesÂ…

“Kenshin,” Aragorn said to his comrade.

“Â…Aragorn,” replied Kenshin.

“We’ve come a long way, you and I,” Aragorn began, “we have led similar, yet different lives of hardshipÂ… as we have had difficult pasts and curses to deal with, and bear swords that were brokenÂ… but were remade, stronger than before.”

Kenshin nodded, as he began sharing his peace, “Â…someone once told meÂ… a manslayer was a manslayer until the day he diesÂ… and that I will die as one myself. At one timeÂ… I nearly made myself believe itÂ…

“And now,” Kenshin added, gloomily, glancing at the Orcs near the Black Gate, from the corners of his eye, “Â…here I am, about to go into battle as all manslayers do. Perhaps it is my fateÂ… that I should die as a manslayer. And that I should dieÂ… fighting in a battle that’s actually worth fighting for.”

“Â…No Kenshin,” said Aragorn, assuredly, “you need not die killing othersÂ… but as who you are nowÂ… a wanderer who stands by his oath of forsaking bloodshed. A vow I too shall undertake if we survive this struggle.”

“Â…Of course,” replied Kenshin, nodding fervently.

Moments passed, as everyone patiently watched Kenshin and Aragorn exchange their last thoughts and words with each otherÂ…

“Â…Théoden once said to me at Helm’s Deep,” intoned Aragorn, as he raised his sword, “Â…let this be the hour when we draw swords together. So, in Théoden’s memoryÂ… let us do the same, Kenshin, as we draw and cross our swords.”

“I agree,” responded Kenshin solemnly.

“Â…Andúril,” said Aragorn as he raised his sword in salute, “Â…Andúril for Middle-Earth.”

“HopeÂ… Hope for all Japan,” answered Kenshin as he slowly drew his sakabato swordÂ… and laid the blade across the sword of the king, crossing both swords, sealing their comradeshipÂ… as well as eternal brotherhood between Kenshin and AragornÂ…

Gandalf and the Fellowship began to lighten a bit, seeing this exchange between the old soldiers. It was now almost clear as to what was happeningÂ… Kenshin and Aragorn weren’t affected at all by the Eye’s call, and they were to be the ones who would make the last move. But they had to share some last words as everyone else hadÂ…

“Â…May the flame of the west and the hope of your worldÂ… stand united in this fight,” Aragorn said, ceremoniously.

“Â…For Sir Frodo,” Kenshin added solemnlyÂ…

Aragorn turned to the others, who stood firm and proud, with Gandalf’s face the proudest of them all. The Heir of Isildur’s eyes turned bleak, sympathizing with his friendsÂ… then turned back to KenshinÂ…

“Â…For Frodo,” Aragorn replied hoarselyÂ…

And both fighters, wielding symbols of hope for each worldÂ… charged swiftly, with cloaks flying in the air, towards the ranks of Orcs in front of the GatesÂ…

“Go Uncle Ken!” cried Ayame and Suzume in unison, watching Kenshin go into battle.

“Himura!” Yamagata added his cryÂ…

PippinÂ… then Merry roared out as they followed behind Aragorn and Kenshin. Misao brandished her kunais and swordÂ… as she gave a loud yell, charging forward, with her friends.

And soon afterÂ…

SanosukeÂ…

SaitoÂ…

Éomer…

AoshiÂ…

GandalfÂ…

LegolasÂ…

GimliÂ…

And the rest of the army of the West began charging, roaring and screaming their cries of battleÂ… towards certain deathÂ…

“Â…Go Saito!” cried Kawaji, cheering to Saito, who charged with a GatotsuÂ…

“Â…Don’t mess up, you idiot!” Megumi cried contemptuously to Sanosuke, who roared, raising his fists to pound the Orcs into the groundÂ…

“Â…Misao! Lord Aoshi!” Kuro, Ochika, Omasu, and Shiro cried in unison, lending their support to their fellow Oniwaban membersÂ…

The soldiers of Rohan and Gondor, led by the Fellowship of both worlds continued to charge forward, towards the much larger forces of Mordor, shouting out their cries of battleÂ…

As Kenshin and Aragorn were the first to clash with the Orcs, roaring with all their hearts, swinging their weapons about. Sanosuke, Gandalf, the HobbitsÂ… and the Hosts of the West soon clashed with the hosts of Mordor afterwardsÂ…

The spectators in Kyoto would now have to watch and wait as the final battle at the Black Gate began with the odds against their saviors.

‘Good luck, Kenshin,‘ thought Hiko, with a hardened expression.

Sam, Kaoru, and Yahiko continued to carry Frodo up to the top of Orodruin, with its fires, shining even greater than beforeÂ…

“Â…Over there,” Yahiko said, pointing aheadÂ…

As the group climbed a set of rocks into a cornerÂ… and stood where they were, gazing upon the dark, glowing, gothic, arched cathedral-like entranceway in the mountain’s side, delved by SauronÂ… the door into the Chambers of fire itselfÂ… Sammath Naur.

“Look, Mr. FrodoÂ… a doorway,” Sam said to Frodo, as he and the others were in great relief, staring upon the entrance into the Cracks of Doom, “Â…we’re almost there.”

‘And nothing’s gonna stop us this time,‘ thought Yahiko, with such confidence as he and Sam and Kaoru began setting toward the doorway, with Frodo in towÂ…

“Clever Travelers!” a hissing, hateful voice called out from the rocks, startling the travelers, as they looked up, with incredulous, shocked facesÂ…

And saw Gollum, perching on the rocks just above them, with an abhorrent, maddened look on his face, staring wildly at his foes.

“To climb so high!” Gollum acrimoniously addedÂ…

As he launched himself from the rockÂ… onto Frodo, who was being carried by Kaoru, Sam, and Yahiko. Yahiko reached at Gollum, trying to throw him asideÂ… but the creature kicked Yahiko, knocking him away from FrodoÂ… and bumped into Kaoru as they both tumbled down upon the rocks below. Yet, Yahiko tumbled down a lot further than Kaoru, pounding his head hard upon the rough rocky edges, and hit a level piece of ground, flat on his face. Only Sam was left alone with Frodo and Gollum slung over his back. HoweverÂ… Gollum’s vicious strength was too much for SamÂ…

And they all toppled backwards, with Sam unable to hold the extra weight, falling roughly onto the ground. Gollum and Frodo were locked together, as they tumbled further away from Sam. Frodo tried to crawl his way back up the path, but Gollum grabbed him aggressively, rolled him over, and gripped his throat in both hands, as he hissed and snarled murderously. Kaoru gasped as she saw Gollum trying to kill Frodo and quickly crawled up to them.

“Sméagol!” Kaoru yelled out pleadingly to Gollum, who snapped his head to face her, while still gripping Frodo, “you can’t do this, you have to let him go!”

“Mustn’t go that way!” ranted Gollum, gesturing his eyes towards the entrance up ahead, “mustn’t hurt the precious!”

“But he has to,” returned Kaoru desperately, “can’t you see? There’s no other way!”

“You swore,” Frodo choked out to Gollum, “you swore on the precious!”

Gollum then began to whimper very mockingly at Frodo, as he and Kaoru looked on the creature with forlorn facesÂ…

“Smeagol promised!” Frodo briskly blurted out.

“That’s right, you did,” reasoned Kaoru, “you said you’d never hurt FrodoÂ… that the precious made you do it, remember?”

Gollum suddenly stopped whimpering, turning her head to Kaoru, and replied with a sinister expression, “Â…Sméagol lied.”

Kaoru became crestfallen after hearing that. To her, it was more like… Sméagol was gone, and sadly… he was…

As the creature immediate turned back to Frodo, and resumed to strangle him to death, hissing with a wild light flaming within his eyes, as the bitter parting at Cirith Ungol had left grievous marks on him. The creature had completely become GollumÂ… in mind, body and soul. Kaoru grimaced, as she growled within her breath and went to grab at the starved, savage creature, fiercely trying to pry him off FrodoÂ…

But Gollum reached out with his mouth, biting Kaoru deeply into the arm. She let out a painful yell as it forced her to release the creature and held her arm with her other hand in writhing agony. Angered by the creature’s act, Sam grabbed a rockÂ… and threw it at Gollum, clobbering him hard upon the head, knocking him off of Frodo, tumbling down a little down the slope.

Frodo caught his breath, trying to recover from Gollum’s attack. Kaoru, still in a little agony with her bite from Gollum went over to Frodo, nudging him with her hands.

“Frodo, are you okay?” she asked in concern as Frodo continued pantingÂ…

But Gollum slowly crawled back towards Frodo, with his hand over the spot where Sam hit him, wailing agonizingly loud, from the injury he received. The creature removed his hand from his head, revealing a small, but deep bloody gash on his foreheadÂ… as he charged once again, on all fours, growling with murderous insanity.

Then, something grabbed Gollum from behind, lifting and tearing him away from the groundÂ…

It was Yahiko, with a gash of blood on his left side of the head, and blood seeping out of his jaw. The creature turned around, and grabbed the hairs on Yahiko’s head. Yahiko, in turn, grabbed Gollum’s lank hair, pulling it fiercely, as both adversaries roared fiercely at each other, inciting their hatred for each other.

Sam then charged with an enraged yellÂ… and jumped, diving and tackling Gollum, along with Yahiko. The battling three plunged completely down the slope away from Frodo and Kaoru, and landed upon the level ground below, where Yahiko and Sam began beating Gollum with all their hate directed towards the creature.

Kaoru looked upon Sam and Yahiko, as the evil light of Mt. Doom darkly reflected on them, symbolizing their hatred for Gollum, when they persisted further to kill the treacherous creature. She knew that nothing could stop them from killing each other, for Mordor was a land of hate, and they were at the very center of that pure, unadulterated malice that Sauron had made of the land. Their minds were hot with wrath and their anger thundered along with the tremors of Mt. DoomÂ…

“NOW WE CAN FINALLY DEAL WITH YOU!” Sam roared out hatefully, using all his strength to kill Gollum, with his fists.

“YOU’RE GOING DOWN THIS TIME!” Yahiko bellowed along with Sam, with all his animosity in full force, aiming to kill the creature for his treachery at Cirith Ungol.

With Sam and Yahiko trying to hold back Gollum, Kaoru knew that it was the time she and Frodo needed to reach Sammath NaurÂ… and throw the ring back into the abhorrent fires from which it was made.

“Frodo, there’s no time to lose,” Kaoru said to Frodo, picking him up from the ground, “we have to go on.”

Frodo nodded and began to run up the mountain, with Kaoru alongside himÂ…

The warriors, all about the hills, before the Black Gate fiercely proceeded to fight the Orcs, whose minds were also filled with the hatred and cruelty of their master Sauron. The hosts of the West were foundering in a gathering sea, their battle utterly hopeless. Éomer used both his shield and fist to beat down the Orcs in his corner. Sanosuke clobbered the many Orcs he fought with. Saito, with his great Gatotsu attack, stabbed and sliced into the creatures he struggled against…

Merry, armed with Théoden’s sword and Misao’s kunais, and Pippin, armed with Faramir’s sword and one of Aoshi’s kodachis, both fought their opponents skillfully. Merry threw one of the kunais, hitting one of the Orcs in the neck, as Pippin used both swords to smite the beastly brood of Mordor.

Aoshi and Misao’s ninja skills had aided them favorably as they used powerful punches, kicks, and slices from their swords, to strike down their enemies.

“Kansatsu Tobikunai!” Misao cried out, throwing her kunais at the Orcs.

“Do Ryu Sen!” Kenshin yelled, using his sword to send the Orcs flying into the air.

Gimli growled and roared as he aggressively hacked into the Orcs with his axes. And with his white knives… Legolas swiftly and surgically cut down the horrid creatures. Aragorn struggled and fought his hardest, cutting into the Orcs with Andúril.

ButÂ… for all their valorÂ…

The Nazgûl flew above, swooping in from out of the gathering mirk, with their cold voices crying words of death. The observers in Kyoto began despairing at the arrival of the Ringwraiths, for under their wings… the shadows of death fell dark upon the earth…

Gollum, while being assailed, by Sam and YahikoÂ… suddenly grabbed Sam’s fist, tightening his vice-like grip, holding himÂ… as he swiftly bumped his head against Yahiko’s head. Gollum jumped away from Sam, and crouched on all fours. Sam and Yahiko prepared themselves for another attackÂ… as the vile, haggard creature pounced upon Sam, grabbing him by the hair, and fiercely knocked his head in a few times before the Hobbit collapsed, wincing from the blows.

Yahiko drew his elven wooden sword and hit Gollum behind the shoulder, knocking him away from Sam. Gollum growled ferociously as he gazed at the hardened, snarling Yahiko, ready to kill the deceitful thing. Yahiko took another swipeÂ… but Gollum dodgedÂ… and jumped onto Yahiko, clambering on top of his head, using his weight to make him topple to the ground.

Gollum had subdued Yahiko as he grabbed his hairs, and crushed his head into the ground three or four times.

“Impulsive brat needs to be taught manners!” Gollum snarled wildly as he uncovered Yahiko’s right shoulderÂ… and bit into it, like a wild, carnivorous beast, feasting on a fresh piece of meat.

“Aa-ahÂ…ah, AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” Yahiko screamed and wailed loudly in anguished terror, writhing from the bite Gollum gave himÂ…

Yahiko’s hands and feet shook violently, as Gollum bit even deeper into him, intending to take a really big mouthful out of his shoulderÂ…

Sam rushed to Yahiko’s defense as he grabbed Gollum from behind, and pulled him away from Yahiko. The young swordsman recoiled and cringed in great agony, as he used both his hands to cover the massive, bleeding wound, whimpering frantically.

Sam and Gollum now struggled with each other, locking each other in fierce combat. In the struggleÂ… Gollum tossed Sam into the rocks, knocking the wind out of him. Gollum then bashed Sam’s head into the rocks, reached out with his mouthÂ… and bit Sam in the left shoulder. Sam let out an agonizing scream, but not as bad as Yahiko had when Gollum bit him in the shoulder.

Sam quickly obtained the upper hand and bashed Gollum’s head into the rocks and fell backwards. Angered and maddenedÂ… Gollum went in for the killÂ…

SLASH!

And Sam quickly drew Sting at the creature, slicing him in the belly. Gollum whined in his suffering from the wound that Sam gave him. Sam, filled with the desire to slay Gollum, gritted his teeth furiously as he went to plunge the steel into the murderous wretchÂ…

“No, don’t kill us!” Gollum cried out his plea to Sam, who was still ready to put an end to his misery, “Â…Gollum! Gollum! Let us live a bit longer!”

Sam struggled with himself. He believed that slaying this treacherous foe would be just, and would be the safest thing to do. But in his heartÂ… Sam was restraining himself, as he could not strike the final blow to the pitiful and cringing abomination that was GollumÂ…

“Â…Precious knows we’ll die,” Gollum added in his torment, “Gollum! Yes, all of us will die, into the dust–die into the dust! Gollum! Gollum! GollumÂ…!“

Sam, taking deep breaths to calm himselfÂ… listened a moment, against his better judgmentÂ… and calmly lowered Sting, believing that Gollum would die, as the rest of them would, when the ring is destroyed.

“OhÂ… curse you, you stinking thing!” Sam muttered contemptuously to himself.

Then Gollum became wild again and lunged for SamÂ…

WHACK!

But something hit Gollum right where Sam had wounded him. It was Yahiko, maddened with the desire to finish off Gollum, unwilling to be merciful as SamÂ…

“Oh no creepy,” growled Yahiko, “Â…you’re not getting away with it this time!”

Yahiko used his strength, while still suffering from his shoulder wound, to hit Gollum again in the shoulderÂ… and again on his cranium. Sam stood as he watched Yahiko beat the creature relentlessly with his wooden Elven bladeÂ…

“IT ENDS NOW!” shouted Yahiko as he roared with all his might in the swingÂ…

BASH!

And clobbered Gollum upside the chin, tossing him to the ground, knocking the creature senseless. Yahiko smirked with great pleasure, as he took advantage of the opportunity for revenge. The young fighter then staggered, as the last swing took a lot out of him.

Sam went to Yahiko and said, worriedly, “your shoulder, Mr. Yahiko! It’s gravely injured.”

Sam then tore one of his shirtsleevesÂ… and wrapped it around Yahiko’s injured shoulder.

“I would’ve given you my own shoulder, if it would’ve been a great comfort,” Sam heartily added.

“Never mind about me, Sam,” said Yahiko, wincing a little from his injury, “where’s Frodo?”

Sam gasped as he also realized that Frodo was nowhere to be found.

“Frodo!” cried SamÂ…

But Frodo went on ahead, with Kaoru guiding him up the mountain to the entrance into the fiery chamber.

“Come on, Frodo!” Kaoru called to FrodoÂ…

As he continued to race up the hill endlessly, sometimes clutching his hand onto the ring, in case it should fall from his neck. Kaoru, as she dashed her hardest, looked up at the arched opening, with her eyes narrowed earnestly hard upon it, intending to enter into the heart of the mountain with FrodoÂ…

Gandalf and Kenshin fought together, with their backs turned on each other, as the battle at the Black Gate raged on. The wizard sliced Glamdring into the Orcs, while Kenshin stressed defense, blocking and parrying the blows from the Orcs. And on occasions, Kenshin would hit the creatures, with either sword or sheathÂ…

SCCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The cries of the Ringwraiths were heard, as Kenshin and Gandalf looked upÂ… to see one of the wraiths diving towards them on a fell beastÂ…

But thenÂ…

A moth fluttered gently, yet gracefully in front of Gandalf and Kenshin. The two fighters looked upon the flying insect with brightened, relieved eyesÂ… and the moth flew away as they glanced upwards towards the wraithÂ…

And the figure of a giant eagle crashed fiercely into the fell beast that the wraith rode upon. Saito, Sanosuke and the rest looked at this revelation, with shock written over their faces.

“What in the?” Saito said, incredulouslyÂ…

The spectators in Kyoto became filled with awe and amazement as they saw the sudden arrival of these flying giant birds of the sky.

“Look, big birds!” cried Ayame and Suzume, pointing at the eagle that clashed with the fell beastÂ…

“Â…Eagles!” Pippin cried out, hearing more of the eagle screeching and bellows approaching, as his face brightened gladly and excitedly, “Â…the Eagles are coming!”

Misao gasped in delight, when she glanced upon the skyÂ…

“What are those?” Yamagata asked, full of apprehension to what he saw.

“The great Eagles of the North,” answered Radagast in exclamation, “Â…and Gwaihir the WindlordÂ…!”

It was the great Gwaihir the Eagle, with his brother Landroval bringing forth all their vassals from the northern mountains, speeding and swooping on a gathering wind, lending their aid to the forces of Gondor and Rohan. Straight down upon the Nazgûl they bore, stooping suddenly out of the high airs, engaging them in aerial combat, and the rush of their wide wings as they passed over was like a gale.

The people in Kyoto cheered gaily, as their last hope had received some support from the giant Eagles of Middle-Earth.

Sam and Yahiko climbed up the mountain slope, trying to find and reach Frodo. But then they saw, from where they wereÂ… that Kaoru was with FrodoÂ… and that they’ve made it to Sammath Naur. Kaoru helped Frodo up the rocks, and ran with him into the fiery tunnels.

Yahiko and Sam quickened their paces, aiming to reach the doorway, intending to see the quest completed. Once they enteredÂ…

The chambers were reeking hot, as the scorching heat blasted their faces and could see little, due to the steam billowing around. Sam and Yahiko saw that there was a walkway, open on either side to a drop into the glowing red lava below, and a deep rumbling shook the air as of great engines throbbing and laboring.

“Kaoru! Frodo!” Yahiko called out from the fiery mistsÂ…

The mists clearedÂ… but there was only Kaoru standing on the walkway ahead of them. Yahiko and Sam quickly went up to her.

“Miss Kaoru,” Yahiko asked of her, “where’s Frodo?”

“He went up ahead,” answered Kaoru, “Â…but he told me to get back. It was likeÂ… that he got so intense all of a sudden, the moment we entered.”

Sam and Yahiko widened their eyes with concern, as if they thoughtÂ… or knew that something bad was going to happen. Fearful of this, Sam and the others went up ahead taking tentative steps forward, with him up front and Yahiko and Kaoru behind him. The ground shook once more, with the mountain throbbing in its turmoil.

“Frodo!” Sam called out amongst the heated winds of the mountain as the steam partedÂ…

And there, at the very end of the walkway, at its very edge to the Crack of DoomÂ… they all saw Frodo standing silently and somberly, over the pit of the bubbling, boiling, molten lava belowÂ…

Frodo heard Sam’s call and turned his head over his shoulder, with sad, weary eyes, as he responded, in a clear calm voice, “Â…I’m here, Sam.”

Sam’s eyes widened in worry once more, as he, along with Kaoru and Yahiko, noticed that Frodo was holding the ring protectively in his hand, as he looked down on the violence of the lavaÂ…

“Â…Behold the Crack of Doom, my friends,” he called out to Kaoru, Sam, and Yahiko, “we’ve made itÂ… and I have come.”

Yahiko became bewildered as he thought to himself, ‘Â…what the heck is he saying?‘

“You’re right, Frodo,” said Kaoru, with growing concern, “we have made it here. And if it is the Crack of DoomÂ… then you know what youÂ… what we’ve all come this way to do, don’t you? To throw the ring back into its fire.”

“Â…Yes, Miss Kaoru,” responded Frodo, with an uncertain nod, “Â…I know it very well.”

“Then let’s get this overwith!” cried Yahiko, impatiently.

Frodo again nodded slowly in response.

“Destroy it!” Sam encouragingly added loudly, above the roar of the mountain.

Frodo, after a few brief momentsÂ… turned towards the pitÂ… and held the ring, suspended by the chain, over the burning, scolding lava, with his eyes fixed on itÂ…

‘This is it,‘ thought Yahiko, with narrowed eyes.

“Go on, now!” Sam yelled further, “throw it in the fireÂ…!”

Frodo had the ring over the lavaÂ… but long, long moments passed, as he just stood there, holding the chain aloft, unable and unwilling to drop the ring into the fiery cracksÂ…

‘What’s he doing?‘ thought Yahiko in exasperation, as his eyes hardened, ‘don’t tell me you’re giving up now, FrodoÂ… we’re all counting on youÂ…!‘

The ringbearing Hobbit still maintained his grip on the chain, with the ring suspended upon it, hanging over the fires in which it was created. Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sam became filled with worry over this long wait, after traveling so great a grueling distance. Frodo appeared to be losing his motivation once more as he just stood there–struggling internally with himself, trying to do what he knows he mustÂ… and complete his missionÂ…

“What are you waiting for?” Sam called, with despair filling himÂ… even greater than before, “Â…just let it go!”

“Drop it already!” Yahiko added his irritable cries for the ring to be dropped.

“The ring’s right over the lava, Frodo,” said Kaoru, encouraging Frodo one last time, “all you have to do is release your hold on the chainÂ…

“Release the chain FrodoÂ… and it will all be over,” ended Kaoru.

Frodo then began to do what Kaoru saidÂ… and started loosening his grip on the chainÂ…

ButÂ…

The call of the ring whispered at FrodoÂ… and the Hobbit immediately stopped loosening his fingersÂ…

The ring’s speech made Frodo stare at the ringÂ… until his eyes were completely glued upon itÂ…

The ring’s power of seduction had throbbed and resonated with each pulsating momentÂ… inside the chambers where it was made, where its power was the strongestÂ… and where all other powers were subdued. This was the very heart of Sauron’s realm, and the forges of his great might, greatest in Middle-EarthÂ…

SamÂ… KaoruÂ… and Yahiko watched with widened eyesÂ… as they gazed upon Frodo, who was no longer swaying or trembling in the slightestÂ… but tense and erectÂ… as if he had been turned to stoneÂ…

Frodo’s eyes hardened darklyÂ… as a devouring desire overtook himÂ… and turned away finally from the pit, gazing upon the othersÂ… his face firm and resoluteÂ…

“Â…Frodo!” gasped Kaoru as she, Sam and Yahiko looked incredulously at FrodoÂ… as if they felt somehowÂ… that Frodo wasn’t now going to do what he came to doÂ…

“Â…The ring is mine,” declared Frodo in a clear, powerful voiceÂ…

And snapped the ring from the chain, tossing it aside. Frodo held the ring over his left index finger, preparing to put it on, as his eyes held their gaze on the othersÂ…

“Have you lost your mind!” yelled Yahiko contemptuously, as Kaoru and Sam gasped despairingly, knowing that the ring had corrupted Frodo.

“Â…No,” whimpered Sam, in the deepest despair, “Â…noÂ…!”

Yahiko growled angrily at Frodo, who let himself, be taken over by the ring, as was Isildur when he was in this abhorrent chamber of smoke and hazeÂ…

Frodo slowly smiled evilly at his companions, as he moved to put the ring onÂ…

Yahiko couldn’t take anymoreÂ… and began to run aggressively towards Frodo, feeling that he had to throw the ring in the fires himself.

“No, Yahiko!” Kaoru cried out as she tried to stop him, fearing a fierce struggle that could be dangerous, seeing as they could fall into the lava together at any pointÂ…

Sam stayed where he was as Kaoru and Yahiko persisted to run, passing ahead of himÂ… but Frodo was too quick as he finished putting on the ringÂ… and vanished from their sightÂ…

“FRODOOOOO!!!!!!” roared Yahiko angrily.

“NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” SamÂ… then Kaoru screamed out in their despair, sending a resounding cry of loss and defeat within Sammath NaurÂ…

The power of Barad-dûr was shakenÂ… and the tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown, as the Eye of Sauron felt the ring’s powerÂ… and turned its gaze from the Black GateÂ… to Sammath Naur.

“I sense the ring,” Sauron proclaimed to the observers in KyotoÂ…

Okina, Radagast, Sojiro, Megumi, and the children gasped in shock and horror as they saw the Eye deviate away from the battleÂ… fixing it firmly upon the Mountain of fireÂ…

“Oh no!” gasped Omasu despairingly

“The Eye’s turned back to Mt. Doom!” cried Elladan.

“It won’t be long now,” Sauron said, maliciously, “soon nowÂ… you will all witnessÂ… my victory!”

The fact was made clearÂ… as the Ringwraiths, at their master’s summons, wheeling with a rending cry, also felt the ring’s power being usedÂ… and immediately, with a storm of wingsÂ… they hurtled southwards towards Mt. Doom. The Eagles followed the ghostly wretches, hoping to delay them, just a bit more. However, Gandalf and Kenshin observed gravely as the Eye had turned its gaze to where Frodo was, unaware of the events that were unfoldingÂ…

Frodo had claimed the ring for himself and disappeared, his footprints appearing and leaving a trail over the dusty rock. Kaoru had whimpered to herselfÂ… as the quest had really failed this time, the moment Frodo made his claim, ending in madness, not triumph. But then she turned aroundÂ…

And saw an ominous figure with crazed, ferocious eyes appearing quietly over Sam, who was standing in helplessness to the fact that Frodo had fallen to the power of the ringÂ…

“Sam look out!” Kaoru called her warning to SamÂ…

CLONK!

But he was hit over the head with a rock before he could respond. Gollum had returned, his eyes filled with livid insanity. Yahiko’s rage erupted as he charged with a loud piercing scream, intending to finish off the creature for good. Yet, Gollum threw the rock he had at Yahiko, clobbering him on the head, and the young Samurai fell to the floor senseless. With Yahiko and Sam out cold, Gollum then chargedÂ… and jumped on Kaoru.

Kaoru now struggled with Gollum, as he was clawing at her face endlessly, grunting and grumbling. Suddenly, they both fell onto the walkway, with Kaoru gaining the advantage and rolled on top of Gollum. But Gollum was able to reach the rock that he threw at YahikoÂ… and bashed it over Kaoru’s head, knocking her out as well. With all these obstacles out of his way, Gollum picked himself off the ground, and crouched forward, fixing his wild eyes over the ground, intently where the invisible Frodo was leaving his footprints, and stopped at a particular spot.

In a most horrid faceÂ… the creature growled and snarled venomously with the vilest, deranged, raging hatred for FrodoÂ… and charged hatefully at his invisible adversary, springing on top of him, wrapping his legs around the Hobbit’s middle and grappling with Frodo’s unseen arms. Frodo cried out angrily as he was now struggling with GollumÂ…

Aragorn battled on, during a lull in his fighting he heard a noise behind himÂ… something large approached. Slowly, Aragorn turned aroundÂ…

And a mighty, monstrous, armored mountain troll, possessed by Sauron’s hate for the Dunedain, bore down upon him raising an enormous sword, which it used to attack Aragorn. Aragorn persisted though, blocking and parrying the blows made by the Troll’s swordÂ…

Gollum, on the edge of the abyss fought madly with his unseen foe. To and fro they moved, now so near the brink that they almost tumbled in, now stumbling back. Sam briefly regained consciousness and lifted his head to witness the odd sight of Gollum struggling with what appeared to be nothing, then his eyes rolled back, and his head thumped back to the rocky ground.

Kaoru had also regained consciousness as she looked up to see Gollum struggling with the invisible FrodoÂ… as the creature’s long hands drew something upÂ… and into his mouth. Gollum’s fangs gleamed with malice as they caught hold, tearing away at whatever he had in his mouth– SNAPÂ…!

“AAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!” Frodo screamed and shrieked in agony as he suddenly reappeared, while Gollum had bit off something from him.

Gollum spit out the object he took from Frodo into his hand and hit it over the ground. Kaoru watched Frodo in surprise as she saw him reappear suddenly with his right hand holding his left, which was bleeding freelyÂ…

Kenshin, as he knocked down a few more Orcs, turned to the sideÂ… to see Aragorn up against a heavily armored Mountain Troll. The wanderer went to aid the RangerÂ… but he heard the snarls and roars of a fierce dogÂ…

And turned to see a Warg with no rider, wearing a spiked metal helmet the same as the Troll had on, charging towards him, barring its slobbering fangs at Kenshin, ready to pounceÂ…

Frodo collapsed further with whole body lying on the rocky floor, moaning from his injury to his hand, which the blood flowed freely from. Kaoru then looked at Frodo, and gasped in horrorÂ… to see that Frodo was suffering from a missing finger, bitten off to the second knuckle, the one that Gollum bit offÂ… to take back the ringÂ…

Kaoru turned to the creature, after his cannibalistic act, as he removed the discarded finger from the ringÂ…

And held it up high in the air, gazing and gloating at it, with the greatest delight and merriment on his face. Gollum had at long, long lastÂ… had reclaimed the ring for himselfÂ… after it was taken from him for too longÂ…

The mountain troll suddenly gained the upper hand and knocked Aragorn, tossing him a long ways aside, landing hard onto the ground. Legolas saw the danger his friend was inÂ… and tried to battle his way to Aragorn’s aidÂ…

Kenshin, now faced with a wild Warg, dodged its first attack, nearly being taken by surprise. The Wanderer struck the wolf-beast in the neck, but to no avail, as it only made the Warg mad. Kenshin dodged its next swipes, as he tried to use his iron sheath to attack the WargÂ…

Sanosuke then noticed Kenshin’s fight with the Warg amongst the crowd of Orcs and Men and gasped despairinglyÂ…

Kaoru, seeing that Gollum has the ring, in his handÂ… called out softly to him, “SméagolÂ…! SméagolÂ…!”

Gollum heard Kaoru’s call, and turned with a contemptuous look.

“If you’re still in there somewhere, Sméagol, please listen!” Kaoru called again, earnestly pleading, “Â…you have to throw the ring away. It’s tormented you for so long. You don’t deserve thatÂ… you need to have a life that’s worth living. Don’t you want that life for yourself?”

Gollum hardened his expressions, as if he wasn’t listeningÂ… but lightened a bit, as he had remembered at one point, that she told him that his past wasn’t important.

“Just throw the ring awayÂ… into the fires below,” Kaoru urged Gollum once more, “Â…pleaseÂ…”

The battle at the Black Gate began taking casualties as many of the men were killed, maimed, or otherwise injured by the enemy fightersÂ…

Sanosuke, while he was rushing to Kenshin’s aidÂ… was overtaken by a pair of OrcsÂ… as they jumped on him and used their clubs to beat the street fighter down. Megumi and Katsu gasped frighteningly seeing Sanosuke being overrunÂ…

Kawaji gritted in despairÂ… as he watched Saito being wounded in the back, and upon the side of his right leg. The lone wolf of Mibu fell down, recoiling from his wounds, but they weren’t anything new as he has had these wounds beforeÂ…

Aoshi was struck in the front left leg, and moaned from the wound as he cut off the Orc’s head with his other Kodachi. Misao rushed immediately to Aoshi’s aid as more Orcs were coming towards himÂ…

Misao threw her kunais at themÂ… and sliced the rest, with her sword. She went down to Aoshi, giving him a morsel of comfortÂ…

As did Pippin, when Merry was cradled in his lap, suffering and wailing from his injuries, worse than he had at Pelennor fieldsÂ….

Aragorn tried to recover himself after being thrown by the trollÂ… but not much time was left for him, as the beast came at himÂ… stepping closer and closer, armed with its massive sword.

“ARAGORN!!!” Legolas screamed out, as many Orcs constantly blocked his pathÂ…

“Smeagol pleaseÂ… throw away the ring,” Kaoru desperately implored Gollum one last time, as if she was on her last legÂ…

Gollum looked at her for a momentÂ… then turned his gaze back to the ring, hearing its callsÂ… and delighted once more. He did not listen to KaoruÂ… as he had the one thing that he wanted the mostÂ… the One Ring back in his possessionÂ…

“Â…Heh, heh, hehÂ… YYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!” Gollum cried out in celebration, as he jumped and danced wildly in his joy, “Â…YEESSSSS!!!”

Kaoru whimpered and cried in tears, shaking her head miserably and mouthing out, ‘noÂ… no, no!’

“Precious! Precious! Precious!” Gollum repeated gaily in his jovial merriment.

Frodo became angered by Gollum’s shouts of joy, as he stood up, with a snarling, feral face… and proceeded toward GollumÂ…

‘You have betrayed me for the last time, scum,‘ thought Frodo, viciously, ‘I will get the ring back, then you shall be cast yourselfÂ… into the Fire of Doom.‘

“Heeehhaaaa!!!! Precious!!!!” Gollum continued dancing and hopping happily.

Intending to carry out his act of revengeÂ… Frodo walked up further towards Gollum, glaring at the creature in growing hatredÂ… and tackled him with his hands, trying to wrestle the ring away from himÂ… then toss him into the lavaÂ…

The battle at the Gate went more ill as the Orcs began to overrun the soldiers, bottoming out the number of fighters that were locked in tight in battle. There was no way out, even if they wanted to retreat. The Eagles continued struggling with the wraiths, trying to stall themÂ… in hopes that the ring may finally be destroyedÂ…

Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul…!

The resounding speech of the ring filled the smoke and haze within Sammath Naur, with Frodo and Gollum battling for the ring. Kaoru turned her expression from despairÂ… to pure anger, watching them both, trying to claim the ring for themselves, and not caring whether they live or die. As the two opponents continued fightingÂ…

The ring flew from their hands, landing many paces away, towards the other side of the edge of the chasm. Kaoru noticed the ring as Gollum went for itÂ… but was stopped by Frodo. While they were strugglingÂ…

Kaoru fixed her eyes upon the ringÂ… and immediately went for it, picking the band from the ground, intending to throw it in herselfÂ…

Then the ring’s speech called to her as it did Frodo, resonating within the wallsÂ…

Kaoru’s gaze fixed upon the ring, using all her will to resist and throw it awayÂ…

But Frodo and Gollum grabbed Kaoru from behind, pulling her away from the chasm, letting Kaoru drop the ring back onto the ground. Now involved in the struggle, Kaoru, also reached for the ring, with Frodo and Gollum in tow. All their hands were reaching toward the ring, as the ring’s call echoed in the chamberÂ…

Frodo and Gollum were intending to take the ring backÂ… as Kaoru fixed her eyes on the ringÂ…

“The precious is mine!” cried Gollum.

“It is mine!” cried FrodoÂ…

Kaoru’s eyes hardened as the ring’s call began affecting her further, hissing wildlyÂ…

“No,” said Kaoru, listening to the ringÂ…

“Â…No, its mineÂ… ITS MIIINNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” Kaoru screamed wildly, as her hand tried to grab at the ring.

Now, Kaoru wanted the ring for herself. Sam regained consciousness, as he saw not only Frodo and GollumÂ… but also Kaoru reaching out for the ring, and his eyes widened in shock.

Frodo nearly reached for the ringÂ… but Kaoru knocked him upside the head, knocking him out. Gollum and Kaoru each grabbed the ring, with their hands tearing away, aiming to get the ring.

“Wicked Mistress!” cursed Gollum, “give the precious to Sméagol! Give it to usss!”

Kaoru then used her hand to smash into Gollum’s face. Gollum wailed loudly, as he remembered when Déagol did the same to him when they first found the ring. Becoming wild and angered, Gollum wanted to bite her finger offÂ…

But Kaoru took that pleasure as she reached out and used her mouth to bite Gollum’s thumb.

“AAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!” Gollum shrieked as Kaoru bit deeper into itÂ… and turned her head fiercely, breaking the creature’s thumb, but it wasn’t bit off clean, nearly broken viciously.

Kaoru stood up tall as she watched the creature wail in its own agony. She held the ring in her hand, as the call of the ring was like a lullaby to her. Sam looked up at Kaoru, looking despairingly, as if he knewÂ… that the ring was about to claim anotherÂ…

“Â…Its mine,” Kaoru said happily, with a hint of wickedness, “Â…my ownÂ… myÂ… precious.”

“Miss Kaoru,” Sam said speechlessly in a forlorn voice, seeing the ring claim Kaoru, “no, Miss Kaoru.”

Kaoru went to put the ring on her fingerÂ…

But Frodo came in and wrenched at it. Frodo and Kaoru were now locked together as they tumbled to the floor. Frodo grabbed hold of Kaoru’s hairÂ… and smashed her head into the ground many timesÂ… provoking Kaoru to hit the Hobbit fiercely in the faceÂ… and went over, with one hand over his throatÂ…

“I’ll kill you!” Kaoru gritted with murderous intent, “I’LL KILL YOOOOUUUUU!!!!!!”

ThenÂ… Yahiko began regaining consciousness, as he turned his head, opening his eyes, and watched with a bewildered expression, seeing Kaoru throttle Frodo onto the ground. Frodo was losing his breath, as Kaoru poured all her strength to kill himÂ…

Gollum suddenly came inÂ… and bit into Kaoru’s right arm, making her scream and shriek in painÂ… as Gollum used all his violent strengthÂ… and tore off a piece of her flesh from her arm. Kaoru’s arm now bled freely as Frodo’s wounded finger had. Gollum wailed and bellowed in his insanity, as he was more cannibalistic than before with Frodo’s fingerÂ… completely changed into a wild animal.

Kaoru released the ring from her grasp, and it lay upon the dusty ground. Gollum then spotted the ring and grabbed at it. Kaoru grabbed at the creature’s hand, as did Frodo. It was now a struggle between the three of them, as they were approaching dangerously towards the edge.

Yahiko went to try and stop themÂ… but Sam grabbed him.

“No, Mr. Yahiko,” said Sam, “we can’t do anything now.”

“But they’ll fall, Sam,” said Yahiko.

“Its no use,” Sam reasoned with Yahiko, “look at themÂ… they want the ring for themselves now. If we try to get inÂ… we’ll be taken by the ring too.”

Yahiko incredulously looked at the struggling trio at the edge of the cracks of Doom. Sam was rightÂ… they were mad for the ring and would kill each other to have itÂ….

Hiko, Sojiro, Yamagata, Okina, and the rest continued to watch helplessly as their only hope was slowly beginning to diminishÂ…

The Troll that attacked Aragorn, after knocking him downÂ… used its foot to slam the Ranger onto the ground. Aragorn drew his dagger and plunged it into the Troll’s foot, but it didn’t have any effect on the beast, as it continued to hold down Aragorn with its massive weightÂ…

Kenshin was pinned to the ground by the Warg, with his iron sheath gripped tightly upon the Warg’s mouth, as he tried to fend back the creature, beating it with the butt of his swordÂ…

Gandalf was almost out of breath, with Orc blood stained on himÂ…

Frodo, Kaoru, and Gollum were dangling very close to the edge of the pit, fighting endlessly to take the ring. SuddenlyÂ… Kaoru slipped her foot over the edge, and lost her balance, taking Frodo and Gollum to tumble with herÂ… and the ring flew away from their hands.

Gollum instantly noticed it as he jumped out, reaching for the ringÂ…

And caught the ring in mid air. Gollum was now in free fall, with his back turned to the lava. The creature gazed at the ring in great satisfactionÂ… then cupped it to his chest, curling his body protectively around the ring, unaware of what he was falling intoÂ…

SPLASH!

Gollum landed with a splash in the molten lavaÂ… then began to sink and melt into the fiery liquid rockÂ… with his hand that held the ring raised above him, looking at it with an incredulous expressionÂ…

Then Gollum’s hand went underÂ… and the ring began to sit and float upon the surface of the lavaÂ…

Frodo and Kaoru also went over the edgeÂ…

Â…But luckily, they held on, clinging onto the rocks, a little below the edge. Sam and Yahiko were glad to see them holding on, after seeing them go over with Gollum. They both lay flat on the rocky edge of the walkwayÂ… and reached down their hands to their companions, but Frodo and Kaoru were a bit out of reach for them to be pulled up.

“Give us your hands!” cried SamÂ… but Frodo and Kaoru still hung there, frozen in shockÂ…

The fiery inscription lighted upon the One RingÂ… as it began to absorb the intense heat of the lava, in which it floated upon, sensing its dangerÂ…

“Take our hands!” Sam implored Frodo and Kaoru.

“Come on!” added Yahiko.

Frodo and Kaoru tried to reach up. Frodo used his wounded hand, as Kaoru reached out her wounded armÂ… but Frodo slipped from Sam’s grasp and Kaoru recoiled from her wound, slipping from Yahiko’s grasp.

“No!” Sam and Yahiko cried despairingly.

Frodo relaxed without a soundÂ… then looked up with such hopeless despair and anguish written within his face, while Kaoru muttered and shivered miserably with her eyes closed, as she was frightened to try and climb up. Both of them feltÂ… that they just wanted jump down to fall into the lava, after being corrupted by the ringÂ… and end it all.

Seeing this, Sam implored to Frodo, passionately, “don’t you let goÂ…”

Frodo stared up at Sam, with just one hand grasping onto the rocks, keeping them from falling.

“Â…Don’t let go,” pleaded Sam in a lowered voice.

“Â…The same goes to you too, Kaoru,” Yahiko said to Kaoru, “rememberÂ… you have to go back to Kenshin. You promised him you would.”

Kaoru then stopped her quivering as she glanced slowly at Yahiko, reminding her of her promise to be reunited with KenshinÂ…

“Do you hear me, ugly?” added Yahiko.

After hearing his usual nickname for herÂ… she grimaced slightly, remembering how she hated being called thatÂ…

“Who are you calling ugly?” responded Kaoru firmly.

“That’s more like it,” said Yahiko brightly, “Â…now come on!”

“Â…REEEAAAAAACH!” called out Sam with a loud, resounding voiceÂ…

Then Kaoru and Frodo reached out and grabbed a firm hold upon their companions’ hands, as Sam and Yahiko pulled them up from over the edgeÂ…

The ring, lighted with the elvish script, continued absorbing the heat of the lavaÂ… until it finally meltedÂ… and disappeared beneath the surfaceÂ…

FLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Great Eye cried out in horror and pain, as it began blazing in consuming flame. And soon afterÂ…

The Eye within the skies of Kyoto began flaring up as well. Okina, Hiko, Radagast, Katsu, Megumi, the Oniwaban Group, the Red Samurai, Elladan, Elrohir, Glorfindel, Yamagata, Sojiro, Kawaji, Chou, and the rest of the people gasped in shockÂ… to see the Eye flashing out of controlÂ…

As the troll was ready to deliver the killing blow to AragornÂ… it stopped suddenly and turned its attention elsewhere. Aragorn felt the creature’s grip loosen up, and scrambled quickly from the ground. The Warg that was clawing at KenshinÂ… inexplicably ceased its mauling, then immediately released its hold on him, and ran off in a panic, leaving Kenshin bemused with reliefÂ….

The rest of Sauron’s other troops, for almost no reason at all, stopped their fighting as they turned back to MordorÂ… to look upon the blazing Eye of Sauron, which now filled their hearts with dreadÂ… and began to fleeÂ…

Sanosuke and Saito looked up, also noticing that the Eye was flaming wildlyÂ…

“WÂ… w-what’s going on?” asked Sanosuke, “Â…what the hell’s happening?”

“It looks like the Eye’s blazing fiercelyÂ… like a flickering wildfire in the night,” gasped Saito.

“Lord Aoshi, look!” cried Misao, pointing towards Barad-dûrÂ…

Legolas turned towards Mordor and Barad-dûr, as well as Gandalf. Kenshin and Aragorn stood up slowly, as they observed the uncontrolled inferno of the great eye. The sight was too familiar to Kenshin… as he remembered when Shishio burned like this, unable to control his body temperature…

“Noooo!!!” cried Sauron, “Â…this can’t beeee! The ringÂ… I can no longer sense it!!!!”

Everyone in Kyoto just stared at the flashing eye like it was babbling or something. But to Okina, Radagast, and the othersÂ… it wasn’t just babble or gibberishÂ…

“Radagast,” Okina inquired solemnly, “Â…does this mean?”

Radagast paused in his standing, watching the flickering, blazing eye upon the sky… and atop Barad-dûr as the mantling dark clouds swirled above the tower…

“Â…It is done,” Radagast answered fatefully in a hushed voiceÂ…

CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKKKKKKLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barad-dûr began to fall, slowly crumbling from its foundations. The Eye continued flashing furiously… as it fell down with its tower, tumbling down into the ground…

Omasu, Ochika, Kuro, Shiro, Ayame, Suzume, and Megumi’s expressions brightened as hope filled them, in the midst of darkness. More of the spectators began to smile, others were still uncertain, as they were seeing an end to their vicious foe, that was Sauron, watching his tower of adamant, topple and decomposeÂ… like a grain of dust in their sightÂ…

Saito lit a cigarette, as he smirked at the breaking tower of Barad-dûr…

Gandalf, giving off a happy, victorious sighÂ… Aragorn, with relieved eyesÂ… and Kenshin, with a sympathetic faceÂ… sternly stood, gazing upon the destruction of Sauron and his dark tower, knowing that Frodo had succeededÂ…

Falling further upon Barad-dûr…

The great dark fire of MordorÂ… then started to shrivel upÂ… and snuff out like a candleÂ…

UntilÂ…

Pooof!!!!!

A bursting shock wave came in a small, quiet explosion, blowing away Barad-dûr, like it was a pile of sand, and Sauron’s presence scattered like dust in the windÂ…

“Â…OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sanosuke roared out triumphantly, throwing a victorious fist high into the air.

“Frodo!” Merry shouted jubilantly, joining along Sanosuke, raising his sword in the air, knowing that theyÂ’ve won over Sauron and Mordor, “Â…FRODOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Misao also cried victoriouslyÂ… and jumped on Aoshi in celebrationÂ… while Gimli resounded his roars of joy, celebrating the victory of Middle-Earth over the evil of Mordor.

The shock wave then began to spread over Mordor after Sauron was vanquished. The earth rocked, groaned, and quaked, as the Orcs continued to flee out of MordorÂ… but alasÂ…

The ground collapsed and crumbled beneath their feet, taking them into a deep abyss. And with itÂ…

The towers of Narchost and Carchost swayed, tottered, and fell down, taking the rest of the Black Gate with them, hurled in ruin. Many of the Orcs had escaped the crumbling abyssÂ… but their minds were mindless as they kept runningÂ… until they plunged themselves into the Dead Marshes at DagorladÂ…

The Kyoto observers also saw Barad-dûr destroyed, and the Black Gate thrown into the abyss of Mordor. Then… the image dissipated, as the Eye in their world was still present, but flickering like its counterpart, could no longer obtain the image. The blazing fiend writhed in its defeat, knowing that his dreams of conquest were thwarted.

“Well, well,” Hiko smirked at Sauron’s flickering counterpart, “Â…it looks like that you intended to show us your victoryÂ… but only showed us your inevitable defeat instead.”

“This isÂ… impossible!!!!!!!!!!!” Sauron’s counterpart replied, wailing contemptuously.

“Only for you,” said Okina proudly, “there’s a lesson you should learn, SauronÂ… good always triumphs over evil.”

“You are finished!” Elladan cried vehemently, “you shall not ever arise again, in any world that you may have planned to conquer!”

“Go away, you bad ball of fire!” Ayame and Suzume demanded firmly at the flashing eyeÂ… that was also about to snuff out.

“You heard them,” said Radagast, firmly commanding Sauron, “Â…begone! Leave our sightÂ… never to return to this world, or any other!”

The Eye’s counterpart then began to fadeÂ… and burst in a shock wave, that filled the earth beneath Kyoto, as well as the rest of Japan. The dark clouds then slowly began to dissipate, as Sauron’s darkness was, at long lastÂ… casted away from this world. One of the officers trembled in uncertainty to what just happenedÂ…

“Â…I-IÂ… it’sÂ… over?” wondered the officer, “Â…does this mean that it’s over?”

Okina nodded, as he answered for him, ” Â…I think it is.”

Radagast nodded fervently in agreement. Ayame, Suzume, and Megumi brightened with smiles, knowing that victory was theirs. The Red Samurai, though he was masked, was filled with the same awe and astonishment, seeing the destruction of MordorÂ… it was though he’d seen the downfall of Hell itself.

“Â…It’s over!” the police officer cried gladly, as he went to run out into the city to pass it onÂ… with others following alongside himÂ…

The rest of the people who were hiding within the buildings began to hear the joyful cries from some of the officers that saw the final outcomeÂ…

“The enemy’s gone! Its over, we won!” one of the officers cried out.

One of the Men who were hiding came at the officer and asked, “what’s all the commotion about? What’s happened?”

“We’re safe!” the officer joyfully replied, “the enemy has been vanquished!”

“What are you talking about?” asked the Man incredulously.

“We won over the enemy,” elaborated the officer, “his tower has been thrown down, crumbled into the dust. His land, his gates, and all of his monster soldiers have fallen–sucked down into a great darkness. And even the fiery eye that watched over us, has been blown away from the sky.”

The Man gasped in bewildered disbelief, “Â…are you sure?” He inquired earnestly.

“Yes, I saw it with mine own eyes!” the officer answered with a triumphant cry, “the threat has passed away from us! Heaven has smiled on us this day! Its over!”

The Man who had heard the great news lightened greatly, hearing that Sauron was no moreÂ…

The Officers, along with some Samurai, began to climb up the buildings in the city, including the towers, to spread the word with a glad shoutÂ…

“KYOTOÂ…! IT’S OVER, KYOTO! THE THREAT OF THE ENEMY IS NO MORE! HE HAS PASSED AWAY FROM US! JAPAN IS SAFE! WE WONÂ…!

“WE WONÂ…!

“WE WOONNNÂ…!

“WE WOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNÂ…!!!!!!!!!!!!!“

The cry of victory resounded throughout Kyoto like a thunderous call of triumph for their landÂ… as well as their time of peace that they had fought for, over 10 years ago. The people cheered gladly at the top of their lungs, greatly celebrating their ultimate triumph. The Red Samurai and his company sounded out their loud, victorious battle cries whenever a great enemy had been conqueredÂ… which sounded harmoniously with the cheering of the Army and PoliceÂ…

Elladan and Omasu hugged each other as Ochika and Elrohir also embraced heartily, feeling relieved of the great evil of Mordor that threatened the peace of JapanÂ…

Kuro and Shiro grasped each other by the arms, sharing a bright, victorious smirk, to know that Frodo had completed the task of saving their worldsÂ…

Ayame and Suzume lovingly snuggled Megumi as she held them tight with great relief to know that their world had been savedÂ…

Hiko, Okina, Sojiro, showing his great smiles, and Radagast had faces firm with relief, as they looked upon the roaring cheers of the people who deserved to have their moment of total victoryÂ…

Glorfindel also glanced, with gladness, upon the cheering people as he thought proudly to himself, ‘rejoice, people of Japan. For the Realm of SauronÂ… is ended forever.‘

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Lord of the Rings. RK is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Lord of the Rings is the property of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien

A/n: quite a massive chapter, isn’t it? I intended it to be so. The word count, is over 9000, can you believe that? I’m still glad nonetheless. Tolkien while writing the scene in Sammath Naur, he was motivated strongly in the saying: no matter how dark, bad, and terrible things seem to beÂ… there will always be a moment of turning, when dark is turned to light, when dawn dispels night.

He called it the ‘eucatastrophe’, an opposite of catastrophe. And for him, it meant the sudden unpredictable turn from bad to good. Tolkien even referred that term to the tragic Crucifixion of Christ, of how his death and resurrection was salvation for mankind.

Well, one of my favorite eucatastrophes, is the scene in the Crack of Doom, though it scared the heck out of me when I first saw it.

I hope this will be the greatest Christmas present for all of you, my readers and admirers. Although there have been some that are not altogether happy about how I do things. But anyway, Christmas isn’t about holding grudges, its about caring and sharing, and being with those you love mostÂ… mostly its about celebrating the birth of Christ.

Well, three more chapters to go before this fic’s finished.

Please read and review, and Merry Christmas!